Palakollu

City in Andhra Pradesh, India
Palakollu
పాలకొల్లు
Palakol, Palacole
City
Sri Ksheera Rama Lingeswara Swamy Temple at Palakollu
Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple
Palakollu is located in Andhra Pradesh
Palakollu
Palakollu
Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Show map of Andhra Pradesh
Palakollu is located in India
Palakollu
Palakollu
Palakollu (India)
Show map of India
Coordinates: 16°31′00″N 81°43′48″E / 16.5167°N 81.7300°E / 16.5167; 81.7300
Country India
StateAndhra Pradesh
RegionCoastal Andhra
DistrictWest Godavari district
Municipality constituted1 April 1919
Government
 • TypeNagar Palika
 • BodyPalakollu Municipality (PMC); Eluru Urban Development Authority (EUDA)
Area
[1]
 • Total
19.49 km2 (7.53 sq mi)
Elevation
1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
81,199
 • Density4,166/km2 (10,790/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialTelugu
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
534250–534267
Telephone code08814
Vehicle registrationAP 37
Websitepalakol.cdma.ap.gov.in

Palakollu is a city and the administrative headquarters of Palakollu Mandal in the Narasapuram revenue division of West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India.[2] Located in the Coastal Andhra region, the city's municipal area spans 19.49 square kilometres (7.53 sq mi).[1]

As per the 2011 Census of India, Palakollu (municipality plus outgrowth) had a population of 81,199.[1] Palakollu is also noted for Ksheerarama, one of the five Pancharama Kshetras.[3]

Etymology

Palakollu ke liye itihasik roop se kuch anya naam prayukt milte hain—“Upamanyapuram”, “Ksheerapuri”, “Palakolanu”, aur angrezi lekhanshailee mein “Palacole”—jo sthaniya Sri Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy (Ksheerarama) mandir se sambandhit paramparaon mein ullekhit hote hain.[4]

History

Palakollu (historically also written as Palakol) is referred to in sources by several earlier names, including Kṣīrārāma, Kṣīrapuram, Palakolanu, and Upamanyapuram.[5]

In 1613, the Dutch established a trading factory at Palakollu as part of the Dutch Coromandel network; the post dealt in textiles, lamp oil, timber, roof tiles, and bricks and was temporarily abandoned in 1730.[6] By the terms following the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the town passed to British control, with the Dutch continuing to rent it until 1804; it was restored to the Dutch in 1818 and finally ceded to the British again in 1824.[6]

Palakollu is associated with the concept of Trilinga Deśam in regional tradition and is home to Kṣīrārāma (Sri Ksheera Rama Lingeswara Swamy Temple), one of the five Pancharama Kshetras dedicated to Shiva; the presiding deity is locally known as Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy.[7]

Under the Qutb Shahi reign

Textile industry center

During the Golkonda Qutb Shahi period (16th–17th centuries), the Palakollu region participated in the Coromandel textile economy, producing cotton goods such as calicoes and blankets, including dyed fabrics routed via Machilipatnam for coastal and inland markets.[8] A severe drought affecting the Krishna and Godavari deltas circa 1770, together with late‑18th‑century headwinds and 19th‑century competition from English mill‑made textiles, contributed to contraction in regional handloom activity noted in contemporary Dutch records.[8][9]

Fabric and ironwork

Regional industrial linkages included nearby Narasapuram shipbuilding; scarcity of iron timbering in the Godavari delta limited ship construction to ancillary work, fostering ancillary ironwork such as nails and tools in and around Palakollu that supplied maritime yards.[10]

Geography

Palakollu is located at 16°31′00″N 81°43′48″E / 16.5167°N 81.7300°E / 16.5167; 81.7300 in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India.[11] The town stands at an average elevation of about 5 metres (16 ft) above mean sea level on predominantly flat, deltaic terrain.[11]

Climate

Palakollu has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen–Geiger Aw), with hot, humid summers and most annual precipitation falling during the monsoon months from June to October.[12] Long‑term averages indicate a mean annual temperature of about 27.9 °C and annual rainfall around 1,208 mm; May is typically the warmest month and October the wettest.[12]

Climate data for Palakollu
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 27.7
(81.9) 		30
(86) 		32.8
(91.0) 		35
(95) 		37
(99) 		36.3
(97.3) 		32.4
(90.3) 		32.2
(90.0) 		32
(90) 		31
(88) 		28.8
(83.8) 		27.6
(81.7) 		31.9
(89.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 23.4
(74.1) 		25.4
(77.7) 		27.8
(82.0) 		30.5
(86.9) 		32.4
(90.3) 		31.8
(89.2) 		29
(84) 		28.9
(84.0) 		28.8
(83.8) 		27.8
(82.0) 		25.4
(77.7) 		23.5
(74.3) 		27.9
(82.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 19.2
(66.6) 		20.9
(69.6) 		22.8
(73.0) 		26
(79) 		27.8
(82.0) 		27.3
(81.1) 		25.6
(78.1) 		25.6
(78.1) 		25.6
(78.1) 		24.6
(76.3) 		21.1
(70.0) 		19.4
(66.9) 		23.8
(74.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 1
(0.0) 		6
(0.2) 		4
(0.2) 		7
(0.3) 		41
(1.6) 		145
(5.7) 		266
(10.5) 		190
(7.5) 		191
(7.5) 		286
(11.3) 		52
(2.0) 		19
(0.7) 		1,208
(47.6)
Average precipitation days 1.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 1.6 3.0 6.1 6.4 5.4 8.7 9.1 3.7 46.0
Source: Climate‑Data.org[12]

Culture

Palakollu near the Konaseema delta region

Palakollu ki cultural life ka kendr Sri Ksheera Rama Lingeswara Swamy Temple (Ksheerarama) hai, jo Pancharama Kshetras me se ek mana jata hai aur yahan parakramik darshanon ke saath teerth yatra hoti rehti hai.[13] Mandir me Maha Shivaratri jaise bade tyohaar vishesh bhav se manaye jate hain, jisse sthaniya paramparaon aur bhakti samaroho ka pradarshan hota hai.[14]

Sri Ksheera Rama Lingeswara Swamy Temple

Konaseema kshetra ke nadi‑delta aur backwater paridrishya se prabhavit Palakollu me dharmik paryatan ke saath sthaley utsav aur rivaazon ka ayojan hota rehta hai, jismein parivarik aur samudayik bhagidari drishyamaan hoti hai.[13]

Administration

Municipality

Palakollu Municipality official logo

The Palakollu Municipal Council (PMC) is the local self-government of the town. It was constituted as a municipality on 1 April 1919. The civic body's jurisdiction covers 19.49 km2 (7.53 mi2) and comprises 32 municipal wards, each represented by an elected councillor.[15] The elected council is headed by a municipal chairperson as presiding officer, while executive functions are vested in the municipal commissioner appointed by the state government.[15]

PMC's functions include construction and maintenance of roads and drains; town planning and building regulation; upkeep of municipal markets and parks; solid waste management; registration of births and deaths; issuance of trade licences; property tax administration; and delivery of community welfare services such as maternal and child health and early childhood education.[15]

The municipality was constituted in 1919 and was graded as a third‑grade municipality in 1952 before being upgraded to first grade in August 1965.[16] On 1 January 2019, the Eluru Urban Development Authority (EUDA) was created under the Andhra Pradesh Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities Act, 2016; Palakollu Municipality was brought within EUDA's planning jurisdiction thereafter.[citation needed]

Palakollu (Assembly constituency) is a legislative assembly constituency of Andhra Pradesh. Historical municipal leadership has included long‑serving chairpersons; specific tenures and projects require citations for verification.[citation needed]

E‑governance services

The Government of Andhra Pradesh operates MeeSeva centres to deliver citizen services locally and online, including digitally signed certificates (income, residence), land records, and other registrations with records stored in state databases.[17][18]

Healthcare

Palakollu functions as a healthcare node for surrounding mandals in West Godavari district. The Government General Hospital serves Palakollu and nearby areas, alongside private multi‑specialty and single‑specialty clinics.[citation needed]

Politics

Palakollu Assembly constituency forms part of the Narasapuram (Lok Sabha constituency). Constituency boundaries and reservations are defined by the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008.[19]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1901 10,848—    
1911 12,953+19.4%
1921 14,535+12.2%
1931 16,906+16.3%
1941 19,869+17.5%
1951 23,037+15.9%
1961 28,481+23.6%
1971 36,196+27.1%
1981 46,146+27.5%
1991 56,969+23.5%
2001 76,308+33.9%
2011 81,199+6.4%
Source: Census of India[20][21]
Palakollu

As of the 2011 Census of India, the town had a population of 81,199; 40,103 males and 41,096 females — a sex ratio of 1,024 females per 1,000 males.[20] Children aged 0–6 years numbered 7,318 (3,743 boys and 3,575 girls; child sex ratio 955).[20] The average literacy rate stands at 76.95%, above the then state average of 73.00%.[20][22][23]

Language and religion

Telugu is the official language of administration and public instruction in Palakollu; other languages are used within minority communities.[20]

According to the 2011 census, the religious composition of Palakollu was: Hindus (95.64%), Muslims (2.11%), Christians (1.97%), Jains (40 people), Sikhs (10 people), Buddhists (3 people); 143 people did not state a religion.[24]

Religion in Palakollu (2011)[24]
Hinduism
 
 95.64%
Islam
 
 2.11%
Christianity
 
 1.97%
Others
 
 0.34%

Economy

Palakollu's economy is primarily agri-based, with food processing, rice milling, trading, and services supporting the town's role as a commercial centre for surrounding Godavari delta mandals.[25] The town and nearby mandals also participate in coir-related activities and small-scale manufacturing aligned with delta agriculture and cottage industries.[26]

Industries Small and cottage enterprises operate alongside agro-processing, including coir and allied units documented in regional industrial cluster plans for West Godavari district.[26] Rice milling remains a significant activity in the Godavari delta, supplying local markets and distribution networks serving coastal Andhra Pradesh.[25]

Aquaculture Aquaculture and inland fisheries are major occupations in the West Godavari region, including areas around Palakollu, with district programmes supporting marine, brackish, and inland fishery resources.[27] Seasonal fishing in the Godavari estuary includes the prized pulasa (hilsa), noted in regional coverage for its local economic importance and seasonality.[28]

Tourism

Palakollu draws visitors for pilgrimage and regional excursions in the Godavari delta, notably to the Sri Kshiraramalingeswara Swamy Temple and nearby coastal and backwater destinations in West Godavari district.[29]

Perupalem Beach on the Bay of Bengal is a popular coastal outing listed among the district's tourist places and is commonly visited on day trips from Palakollu.[29] In the backwaters of the Vasishta Godavari within the broader Konaseema region, resort stays are marketed for river-facing leisure and cultural experiences near Palakollu; the operator notes Palakollu as a nearby urban center for access.[30]

The Sri Kshiraramalingeswara Swamy Temple (Ksheerarama) in Palakollu is highlighted by district tourism as a key heritage and pilgrimage site.[29]

Transport

Palakollu is connected to regional destinations by road and rail, with onward air access via Rajahmundry Airport.[31][32]

Roadways

Palakollu bus station phase 1 platforms

The municipal road network in Palakollu totals 78.80 km (48.96 mi) across urban roads administered by the civic body.[33]

Railways

Palakollu Railway Station entrance

Palakollu railway station lies under the Vijayawada railway division and is classified as a B‑category station in the South Central Railway zone.[34][32] The station is situated on the Bhimavaram–Narasapuram branch line and has been the subject of capacity works including additional platforms reported during the 2010s.[35]

Waterways

National Waterway 4 (notified 24 November 2008) links inland waterways across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and the Union territory of Puducherry, including reaches of the Godavari and Krishna and the Buckingham Canal.[36] Development of NW‑4 was assigned to the Inland Waterways Authority of India with works and timelines announced by the central government in 2010.[37]

Airways

Rajahmundry Airport (approximately 70 km by road) serves Palakollu with scheduled domestic flights; a new terminal became operational in May 2012, and runway extension works were undertaken to accommodate larger aircraft types.[38][39]

Education

Palakollu serves as an education hub for surrounding rural areas and towns in the West Godavari region, with municipal and state-run institutions alongside private schools and colleges.[40] As per the 2011 Census of India, the town recorded an average literacy rate of 83.90%, with 63,097 literates (32,397 males; 30,700 females).[41]

Primary and secondary education is provided by government, aided, and private schools under the School Education Department of Andhra Pradesh.[42] The Palakollu Municipal Corporation lists its network of municipal schools and related civic education services for the urban area.[43] According to state school information reporting for the mid‑2010s, the urban area had on the order of 150–160 recognized schools across government, residential, private, and municipal managements.[44]

Instruction is commonly offered in Telugu and English, with Urdu available in select schools subject to state/CBSE affiliations and local demand.[40] Palakollu and its vicinity host several higher‑education institutions spanning arts, science, commerce, engineering, and professional programs, including D.N.R. Educational Institutions and the Jogaiah Institute of Technology & Sciences (JITS).[45][46]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "District Census Handbook – West Godavari: Primary Census Abstract (Town)" (PDF). Census of India. Directorate of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh. 2011. pp. 22–23, 54–55. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  2. ^ "About Palacole Municipality". CDMA Andhra Pradesh. Government of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Religious Tourism – West Godavari District". Government of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  4. ^ "Palakollu City – Etymology". AreaProfiler (Government of India). Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  5. ^ Pañchārāmas in Medieval Āndhradēśa – Google Books search showing the historical toponym “Palakolanu”.
  6. ^ a b Bowrey, Thomas (1895). Temple, Richard Carnac (ed.). A Geographical Account of Countries Round the Bay of Bengal, 1669–1679. Hakluyt Society. p. 105.
  7. ^ Readings in Indian History. Selected and Edited by Sir William Wilson Hunter (1899), p. 15 (Google Books scan).
  8. ^ a b Joshi, P. M. (1941). "Textile Industry and Trade of the Kingdom of Golkonda". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 5: 609–617. JSTOR 44304839.
  9. ^ Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (1990). "Rural Industry and Commercial Agriculture in Late Seventeenth‑Century South‑Eastern India". Past & Present (126): 76–114. doi:10.1093/past/126.1.76. JSTOR 650810.
  10. ^ Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (1988). "A Note on Narsapur Peta: A "Syncretic" Shipbuilding Centre in South India, 1570–1700". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient. 31 (3): 305–311. doi:10.2307/3632014. JSTOR 3632014.
  11. ^ a b "Palakollu, India – Maps and weather". FallingRain. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Palakollu climate: temperature and rainfall". Climate‑Data.org. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Religious Tourism – West Godavari District". Government of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Sri Ksheera Rama Temple – Palakollu". Trawell.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  15. ^ a b c "Citizen's charter" (PDF). Palakollu Municipal Council. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  16. ^ "About Palakollu Municipality". Palakollu Municipality. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Andhra Pradesh State Portal – MeeSeva Services". ap.meeseva.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  18. ^ "AP to offer 331 Mee Seva services by Oct". The Hindu Business Line. 9 April 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008" (PDF). Election Commission of India. pp. 20, 30. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e "District Census Handbook – West Godavari: Primary Census Abstract (Town)" (PDF). Census of India. Directorate of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh. 2011. pp. 54–55. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  21. ^ "Town amenities and demographic tables – Andhra Pradesh (DCHB)". Census of India. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 27 August 2025. On this page, select “Andhra Pradesh” from the download menu; data for “Palacole (M + OG)” are in the downloadable file.
  22. ^ "Literacy of Andhra Pradesh (Census 2011)" (PDF). AP State Statistical Abstract 2014. Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  23. ^ "Andhra Pradesh (India): Districts, Cities, Towns and Outgrowth Wards – Population Statistics in Maps and Charts". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  24. ^ a b "C‑1 Population by Religious Community (2011)". Census of India. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2025. On this page, select “Andhra Pradesh” from the download menu; data for “Palacole (M + OG)” are in the downloadable file.
  25. ^ a b "AGRICULTURE". Government of Andhra Pradesh – West Godavari District. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  26. ^ a b "Industrial Clusters". Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC). Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  27. ^ "FISHERIES". Government of Andhra Pradesh – West Godavari District. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  28. ^ Murali Sankar, K. N. (23 July 2015). "Pulasa fishermen wait for Pushkaram to end". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  29. ^ a b c "Tourist Places – West Godavari District". Government of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  30. ^ "Palavelli Boutique Resorts – Konaseema". Palavelli Boutique Resorts. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  31. ^ "Rajahmundry airport tops in occupancy rates". Deccan Chronicle. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  32. ^ a b "Divisional information – Vijayawada Division" (PDF). South Central Railway, Indian Railways. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  33. ^ "Details of Roads in each ULB of Andhra Pradesh". Commissioner and Directorate of Municipal Administration. Municipal Administration & Urban Development Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  34. ^ "Statement showing Category‑wise number of stations" (PDF). Indian Railways. p. 2. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  35. ^ "Railway station to have two more platforms". The Hindu. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  36. ^ "National Waterways – Declaration". Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  37. ^ "Development Authority for Inland Waterways in India". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  38. ^ "Rajahmundry airport terminal operational". The Hindu Business Line. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  39. ^ "Gearing up for big planes by 2018". The Hindu. October 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  40. ^ a b "School Education Department – West Godavari District". Government of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  41. ^ "Primary Census Abstract, 2011 – West Godavari (Town-level)". Census of India. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  42. ^ "RMSA – Notification (School Education Department, AP)" (PDF). Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  43. ^ "Palakol Municipal Corporation – Schools". palakol.cdma.ap.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  44. ^ "School Information Report (Consolidated)". Commissioner of School Education, Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  45. ^ "Sri D.N.R. Govt. Degree College for Women – History". Sri D.N.R. Govt. Degree College for Women, Palakollu. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  46. ^ "Jogaiah Institute of Technology and Sciences, Palakole". Careers360. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
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